Witches Brew?--No Need for Eye of Newt

Whenever you have over 20 children playing, living, eating and sleeping together you will discover that any viruses that come to visit get passed around and around.

A simple sniffle or cough can last for weeks as it makes the rounds. And, when 5 or 6 children in a room with 12 children are coughing it can mean little sleep for anyone.

Thankfully I have weapons in my arsenal.

I don't like to use chemicals too much, and prefer natural ingredients that help the immune system to fight illness on its own.

So, here now is my cough and cold remedy. It works amazingly!

One 'problem' with this miraculous syrup is that the kids love it! I have to discretely ask the nannies who has been coughing at night so that I can dose the right kids. If I ask in earshot of any of the kids they will all begin coughing and clearing their throats.

 A second 'problem' I had was explaining to the staff members that this was not witchcraft. I had to explain carefully how the different ingredients worked to fight off disease.

So, here is the golden stuff:

First I slice 3-4 onions and pour a cup of honey over them. This needs to sit for 5-6 hours during which time the onions will soften and all the healthy goodness will seep into the honey.

Next I pour a cup of boiling water over a tablespoon of dried thyme and leave this to sit until it cools completely.

After I strain the honey/onion mixture and the thyme 'tea', I combine them with a cup of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. I whisk in a teaspoon of dried ginger.

Lastly I add one final ingredient. This is the one that creates the most magic. The ingredients so far have been healthy and full of vitamin C and good stuff.

Now, this is the one that calms the coughing and allows the body to rest and recover. Whiskey! I buy a very cheap one--since I'm not drinking it, it doesn't have to have good flavor.

 

I add one cup of this and the job is done.

Whenever I hear a cough or sniffle coming on, I give this out. I don't even mind giving it out to kids who are coughing just because they want medicine too. It's full of vitamins and not bad for them at all. I give about one teaspoon for each year the child is, eg. Peter who is 3 years old gets 3 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon.

And, it works! This week Peter had a nasty sounding cough that kept him up at night. By the second night of giving this to him at dinner and then again at about 10 PM, he was completely better. I'll still give it at night for a couple days to keep him healthy.

Here is the 'recipe' I use. You can scale it down very easily.

4 medium onions
1 cup honey
1 cup boiling water
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
1 cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 cup whiskey


 Mix it all together and store in the fridge in a mason jar.

Cauldron and dry ice not at all necessary.

Exactly Two Years Ago: Just Another Ordinary Day
Exactly Three Years Ago: Hospital Visit